Helmet or head-shield.



HELMET 0R HEAD SHIELD. APPLICATION HLED IIHIE Z1. ISIS- Patentd Jan. 1, 1918;

" To all whom itmay concern:

a being had t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LEOPOI-D BRODIE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

HELMET OB HEAD-SHIELD.

lpeelleatlon .1 Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application illed June 27, 1916. Serial No. 106,278.

Be it known that I, JOHN Lnoronn Brown, a subject of the Kin of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at fiondon, En land, have invented certain new and usefu Improvements in Helmets or Head-Shields, of which the followin is a specification, reference erein to the accompanying drawing.

The resent invention relates to helmets or head siiields for military, mining and the like use.

The resisting power of existing steel helmets designed to protect the head against Wounds caused by the impact of rifle bullets, shrapnel bullets,shell splinters, falling coal, stones or minerals and the like depends upon the thickness of the metal of which the helmet or head shield is made. The thickness however has hitherto been restricted by th weight of the helmet. Even in the case of comparatively light but fairly strong helmets of the exlstin kinds, the method of fittin them on the said has the disadvan tage that the force of a relatively small impact is transmitted direct to the skull and may easily produce concussion of the brain orat any rate a severe bruise. Apart from the danger of such bruises or wounds becoming infected and causing blood poisonmg, dlfiiculties arise in removing these helmuch thicker mets when they have received jagged penetrations and deep indentations becausethe metal becomes embedded in the head. Moreover such helmets in cold weather are likely to cause frostbite and in hot weather become insupportable.

The present invention aims at overcoming thesedrawbacks.

Accord to the invention the helmet or head shield is stamped from a resistant metal and when used for military purposes from a'known form of bullet-proof steel suchas manganese steel so that comparatively thin plate may be used, which is as resistant as plates hitherto used for n iak in helmets.

11 order to revent concussion of the brain by external impact and to preventinlury to the fro'ntal, parietal or occipital onesof the cranium by an indentation or penetration of the helmet, t vided with an inner lining as a buffer. This bufl'er or 1mg 1 s m edwithin e latter is pro adapted to act anticoncussion the helmet Shell that a free space or air gap is left between linin and s ell, and therefore the helmet may e subjected to a considerable force of impact or even be indented 0r penetrated without injury to the wearer.

- By providing an antiseptic and absorbent cushion of lint or cotton wool in said lining the danger of wound becominginfected is avoided, while any blood is absorbed and prevented from running down into the wearers eyes. In cases of strong hemorrhage the helmet can be strapped tightly so as to act as a tourniquet.

The lining is only loosely secured inside the shell, and referabl only at one oint in such a way that the s ell can be easi removed from the lining if the latter stic s to the injured head. This arrangement also enables the lining to be quickly renewed.

The bufier or anti-concussion linin tends to retard the velocity of objects striking the helmet and this diminishes the shock usually felt with other helmets. The inner linin protects the wearer against frostbite in cold weather .and the air gap surrounding the linin kee s the wearers head cool in hot weat er. he lining equalizes the'distribution of wei ht on the wearers head because of its resiliency and thereby prevents the undue local pressure which is a prime cause of headaches. The inner protective lining grips the head firmly and does away with the continued necessity ofipressil'i down the helmet to keep it in place. The ining also protects the helmet fromrustin a In order to fully understan the inven- The shell 0 of the helmetwhich is made considerably larger than the skull and provided with a brim of 1 to 1% inches wide all around is stamped out of bullet roof steel plate of about one-twentieth an inch thiclmess. The brim or any other convenient art is rovided with riveted chinstrap b b 8,4 Bland eather canvas f and an intermediate la er of absorbent cotton wool or lint e. T e edge of the felt layer d is stifiened by means of a ade uate play to the chin strap surrounding band of fiber or other suitable material 9 which is sewn on to the other linings. 'I he canvas linin f is covered with American cloth or the li e it cut and arranged inthe way usual for helmet linings.

The outer edge of this American cloth is turned up outside the stifl'ened band 9 and stitched to the felt at i, bein also provided with loops 1 (Fi 3, 4 an 5) preferabl made by cutting t e American cloth. Sma l bufiers or studs m of resilient material such as rubber or the like are passed through said loops Z for the purpose of providing the required air space or gap n between the lining and the shell and for absorbing shocks produced by external impact. When rubber studs are used these may be erforated. Ventilating holes is are provlded at suitable ositions and are cut right through the elt d, absorbent cotton 6 and canvas f. The lining is fixed to the crown of the shell by a sin le fastening device such as a split rivet r w ich, while affording sufiicient hold for the lining in the shell also allows of the steel shell bein easily removed from the lining in case 0 injury to the skull. 3

Fig. 6 shows a modification of the attachment of the chin stra As will be seen from the drawin the c in strap 0 is passed through one buc e b over the lining and through the otherv buckle. The strap is fixed by the rivet at the crown of the helmet. This kind of'attachment has the advantage that the lining adjusts itself to the wearers head when the strap is pulled around the wearers chin. The uckles b are preferably made slightly larger than is the case in the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 so as to give T e steel shell is preferab y colored in rainbow colors so as to make it invisible to the enemy when the helmet is used for military purposes, and to prevent in'ury by the sharp edge of the rim of the elmet, the edge is preferably rounded off as shown in l t is evident that various alterations and modifications of the construction of the helmet are possible without departing from the s irit of the invention and I do not there ore desire to limit myself to the exact .form of construction shown and described.

. What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A helmet or head shield 0.

metal shell and a loose bufler lining, secured at one point only of its crown to the crown of said shell by detachable means.

2. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell and a loose bufl'er lining which 7 contains absorbent material and is secured at one point only of its crown to the crown of said shell by detachable means.

3. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell and a loose bufl'er lining, spaced away from said shell at the lower edge, said buffer lining being secured at one point only of its crown to the crown of said shell by detachable means.

4. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell and a loose bufler linin spaced away from said shell at the lower e ge, said buffer lining containing absorbent material and being secured at one point only of its crown to the crown of said shell by detachable means..

5. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell and a loose bufier lining provided with resilient pads at intervals between the lower edge of said lining and said shell, said lining bein secured at one point only of its crown to t e crown of said shell by detachable means.

6. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell and a loose-buffer lining containing absorbent material and provided with resilient pads at intervals between the lower edge of said lining and said shell, said lining being secured at one oint only of its crown to the crown of .sai shell by detachable means.

7. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell and a loose buffer lining provided with rubber ads held in loops of said lining at intervals between the lower edge of said lining and said shell, said lining being secured at one point only of its crown to the crown of said shell by detachable means.

8. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell and a loose buffer lining pro- 1 vided with rubber pads held in loops of said lining at intervals between the lower edge of said lining and said shell, said lining containing absorbent material and being secured at one oint only of its crown to the 1 crown of sai shell by detachable means.

9. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell and a. loose buffer lining comosed of an outer layer of felt, an inner ayer of canvas, and an intermediate layer of 1 absorbent material and secured at one point only of its crown to the crown of said shell by detachable means.

10. A helmet or head shield. consisting of a metal shell and a loose buffer linin pro- 1 vided with resilient pads at interva, s between the lower edge of said lining and said shell, said lining being composed of an outer layer of felt, an inner layer of canvas, and an intermediate layer of absorbent material'and 1:

names bein secured at one point only of its crown to t e crown of said shell by detachable means.

11. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell and a loose buffer lining composed of an outer layer of felt, an inner layer of canvas, an intermediate layer of absorbent material and a head cover of fabric which is turned up around the lower edge of said felt; and is provided with rubber pads held in loops in said head cover at intervals between the lower edge of said lining and said shell, said liningbein secured atone point only of its crown to t e crown of said shell by detachable means.

12. A helmet or head shield consisting of a metal shell, strap buckles on said shell and a loose bufi'er lining spaced away from said shell at the lower edge, a chin strap passed through said buckles and over said lining which is secured at one point only of its crown to the crown of said shell by detachable means.

13. A helmet or head shield consistin of a metal shell, strap buckles on said she I, a

loose lining, resilient pads at intervals between the lower edge of said lining and said shell, a chin stra passed through said buckles and throng interstices between adjacent pairs of said pads and over said lining whlch is secured at one point only of its crown to the crown of said shell by detachable means.

x 14. A helmet or head shield consistin of a metal shell, strap buckles on said she I, a loose lining, rubber pads held in loops on said lining at intervals between the lower edge of said lining and said shell, a chin strap passed through said buckles and through interstices between adjacent pairs of said pads and over said lining which is secured at one oint only of its crown to the crown of said s ell by detachable means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN LEOPOLD BRODIE.

Witnesses:

CONRAD JOHN STARDEY, FREDERICK JOHN TAYLOR. 

